Company | American Tobacco, 1984-1994

Between 1984 and 1994, American Tobacco paid a product placement firm upwards of $675,000 to put its brands on screen. [1] The product placement agency claimed that it delivered cigarettes, brand signage, and unspecified “incentives” to nearly five hundred Hollywood film productions during those years. [2]

Yet in 1990, 1991 and 1992, American Tobacco told the Federal Trade Commission that the company “did not pay or agree to pay consideration in money, product, or other form to have its cigarette brand names or tobacco products appear in any motion pictures…” [3]

The total amount cited ($675,000) does not include the value of all the tobacco products American Tobacco sent to UPP for film productions (numerous references).

Note 2 | See UPP report to American Tobacco, half a dozen other quarterly and annual lists reported by UPP to its client; and numerous other “feature memos,” “results memos” and “monthly updates” from UPP through April, 1994 — compiled into a summary list by UCSF. Total number cited does not include thirty-six films, nominated by UPP, whose release could not be confirmed. The summary includes the year a film was actually released, its working title, release name, and MPAA rating.